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Act needs me or will be wiped out - Brash


ACT faces electoral "oblivion" unless the party accepts him as leader, former National Party leader Don Brash says.

NZPA
Tue, 26 Apr 2011

ACT faces electoral "oblivion" unless the party accepts him as leader, former National Party leader Don Brash says.

Dr Brash predicted ACT leader Rodney Hide would lose the Epsom electorate in the November's election, and fail to win enough of the party vote to survive.

To remain in Parliament, parties must either win 5 percent of the party vote or an electorate seat, and ACT is polling is polling around 2 percent.

Dr Brash, 70, is making a bid to take the ACT leadership from Mr Hide. If that fails he will set up his own party.

Mr Hide has struggled with internal ACT ructions and revelations of his controversial spending of taxpayers' money on travel.

Prime Minister John Key over the weekend said he could work with Dr Brash, but they did not agree on many issues.

"We very much see ourselves as a centre-right party, and not a political party that follows mainstream right-wing doctrine.

"But we will do are best to work with the players depending on the result of the general election, but whether they create a party or not or whether he becomes the leader of ACT is a matter for Don Brash and members of the ACT Party."

Mr Key worked under Dr Brash's leadership in opposition. The pair agreed on some areas, but in others Dr Brash was more extreme.

Asked if he would consider Dr Brash as a minister Mr Key said that was too early to ponder that.

Dr Brash canvassed support in the ACT caucus over Easter. Its board meets next Saturday.

Of ACT MPs, Sir Roger Douglas and Heather Roy were likely Brash backers while newbie Hilary Calvert has indicated support for Mr Hide. John Boscawen will be under pressure from both camps.

Dr Brash said the MPs gave him a hearing and shared his concerns about Government borrowing and spending.

"I think there's a measure of interest in what I am talking about because they recognise at the moment ACT very well faces oblivion at this year's election," he told Radio New Zealand.

"I think there's a recognition both among the caucus and the wider public that I have the potential to lift the party well above the 5 percent threshold."

Dr Brash said he was offering ACT an escape from oblivion.

"I think ACT ought to be polling above 10 percent, not around 2 percent."

Should he set up an alternative right-wing party that would strip ACT votes.

"I think it would be a great pity to split the centre-right party vote in that way, but the reality is if ACT doesn't accept my proposal I think they are facing oblivion anyway."

He would push ahead as he did not think the party would retain Epsom without him.

"Indications are that he (Mr Hide) is likely to lose Epsom as well. He doesn't agree with that but the readings I've had suggest that he is a long way behind almost any other centre right candidate in the Epsom seat."

Dr Brash and Mr Hide dispute that the ACT leader previously offered him a co-leadership role which he rejected because he considered the Hide brand was too badly damaged to win. The men had been friends for 15 years.

Dr Brash said seven months was plenty of time to get a new party going and he had the financial backing.

He is yet to resign his membership from the National Party and would need to join up to ACT before a leadership bid could succeed.

Dr Brash wants former Auckland City Mayor John Banks to contend Epsom under his leadership and Mr Banks has not ruled that out.

NZPA
Tue, 26 Apr 2011
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Act needs me or will be wiped out - Brash
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